Thursday, June 23, 2016

Lyndsay and Seth Stretch live in the fourth or fifth
oldest house in Windham, built in 1767. They are caretaking it now, is how they
see it, but in the mean time they have built a thriving business beautifying
the lakes region.

They never wanted to be the lawn care company next door. They
have a saying, “we’re the one to call when your yard needs it all, winter,
spring, summer, fall,” said Seth. They do earth work, fix driveways and add patios
during the warmer months, as well as plant flower gardens, vegetable gardens
and trees, and do seasonal clean ups. They also do lawn care, but really do so
much more. In the winter they take care of all your snow removal needs.

In 2015, the Stretch’s fell into the business when they
bought Storey’s and their client list. “That gave us our start,” Seth said.
Before Stretchway, Seth was a full-time mechanic. Lyndsay spent six years as a
professional landscaper, which she has been able to continue through the
company.

“When you’re in business for yourself, you come home to see nobody weeded my
garden,” she laughed. Lyndsay also went to school to become a chef, which she
still enjoys.

“It’s a lot of hard work. We are our own bookkeepers,
project manager and deliver mulch and soil,” she said.

Lyndsay enjoys the gardening aspect of the company, whereas
Seth likes building things and making something out of nothing. Lyndsay has
been trained in shoreline zoning and continues her education when she can to
better serve her clients.

Stretchway is a specialized company and will deliver anything
that they can fit in the back of a truck. Seth will travel in search of exactly
what a customer wants from color, shade, size and more. There is also education
that happens when a client calls. Asking for rocks will prompt the question of
what are you doing with them? Because making a stone wall and filling in a
driveway use very different types of rocks.

In the garden division, Stretchway sells supersoil, a
mixture of compost and screened loam that contains no chemicals or pesticides. The
Stretch’s admit they might not be the cheapest, however, customers have
discovered that they get exactly what they pay for. One woman had a load of
supersoil delivered and when she grew her tomatoes, she was amazed at the size
of the crop and the fruit.

They have a Kubota tractor which is used for grading,
patios, rock walls and filling in areas and driveways that have been washed
out. Whether it’s brush hogging, cutting and digging drainage or something else
a homeowner needs, check with Stretchway first to get the job done right.

“Our customers really appreciate us,” Seth said. They get
thank you cards from some of them and 90 percent know them by name. “This has
opened our eyes to the members of the community,” Seth added.

When it comes to lawns, Stretchway does dethatching,
aerating, fertilizing and soil conditioning. They try to stay in the natural
realm, not using harsh chemicals and phosphates. They always have an open
conversation with their customers so they get the satisfaction and outcome they
were hoping for, Lyndsay said.

Stretchway also adds a personal touch to every job and
everything they do. When working on free quotes for jobs, they go above and
beyond and consider communication to be key. The communication with their
customers to make sure they know exactly what is wanted is important regardless
of how many emails or phone calls it takes. “We have to collaborate. We take
the good with the bad,” Lyndsay said.

Hardworking from sun up to sun down, this power couple
and parents of three children (Zeke, 3;
Lucy Ayn, 5; Preston, 9), takes great
pride in the work they do enhancing landowners properties.

“I have the best job ever. Rain, sleet, snow, I’m outside
every day,” said Seth. The company is managing its growth and has brought on
three employees this season. “We’re keeping small this year,” he said.

Stretchway works primarily in Windham, Raymond, Cumberland,
Falmouth, Portland, Gorham, Westbrook and Gray. They have a variable delivery
rate that is very competitive, but they encourage customers to shop around to
see that they have the best prices most times.

Seth is a self-described work-a-holic and believes in his
family motto. “There’s one way to do things, the Stretchway.”

Located just before the bridge in Naples, Merced’s on
Brandy Pond has one of the best views in the lakes region with vistas of both
Brandy Pond and Long Lake. The panorama is only outdone by the food served at
this unique restaurant, which serves an eclectic selection of Maine favorites
with fresh twists that make them stand out as Merced’s.

Owner Frank Merced insists that the food in either of his
restaurants, Merced’s or Franco’s Bistro, be made and prepared fresh from
scratch. With recipes that he creates himself, Frank conjures up dishes that
will make one’s mouth water.

Dinners like herb and bleu cheese encrusted tournedos,
chicken macadamia and wild mushroom ravioli make Merced’s exceptional with its
special homemade sauces and pastas. He serves high end steaks and filets. One
of the most popular dishes is the Maine shellfish estiva, which is sautéed
lobster meat, shrimp and scallops tossed with mushrooms, red peppers and snap
peas, in a lobster sauce over fresh pasta and sprinkled with pecorino Romano.

Dinner guests must leave room for the homemade desserts.
They can choose from crème Brule, chocolate amaretto cake, lemon cheesecake
with blueberry sauce or an ice cream puff with homemade chocolate sauce.

This weekend, Frank is ready for the Maine Blues Festival
and Father’s Day, preparing 200 Ciabatta rolls and special dishes to share with
the music lovers. There will be lighter fare on Saturday. “It’s not the day to
relax and have a nice dinner, he said. “The music is nice and loud.” There will
be six bands playing the Merceds’ parking lot with a solo artist in the evening
playing soft blues.

The festival is a “collective effort, with good exposure.
The town offers something unique and it’s only Maine bands,” Frank said.

Merced’s opened five years ago after Frank got a call
from a friend who said it was for sale. It was a tiki bar, Frank said. At the
time he was the executive chef at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, so he looked into
it. “As soon as I saw it, I said, ‘There’s some potential there’.”

With 20 to 30 employees in the summer, Merced’s is
hopping with its two floors of seating and two outside decks. After 5 p.m.
boaters can tie up the main dock and walk the few hundred feet to Merced’s. And
if they don’t want to eat in, Merced’s offers its entire menu to go. The fun,
casual restaurant can seat 135 inside and out and can host private parties for up
to 60 people.

There is a full bar with Maine and New England brews on
tap. They also have an extensive wine list.

“They get to leave here happy,” Frank said of his
customers. He knows the customers who frequent the area because he has been a
chef in the lakes region for 30 years. There are plenty of restaurants, but
Frank knows his concept keeps the guest coming back. “We all offer our
different things, but not like this,” he said.

For those guests who prefer vegetarian options, Merced’s
has a vegetarian salad featuring a
homemade lemon and thyme vinaigrette. The
summer menu is not yet planned, and although Frank will keep the fan favorite
items like the ravioli and the baked stuffed shrimp, he is marinating on new
recipes to delight and keep his guests and their taste buds on their toes.

As the chef and owner, Frank makes sure to speak to most
of his customers while they’re eating. By checking in, he is able to create the
rapport with them that makes them feel special. “One of our successes is that
I’m able to do that,” he said.

When Frank can’t be at one of the restaurants his wife
Elaine, who runs Merced’s, takes care of the customers.

Merced’s sous chef is Alan Mitch, who has been working in
a kitchen for 15 years.

Merced’s on Brandy Pond is open for dinner from 4 p.m. to
9 p.m. every night. They close at 8 p.m. on Sundays. In July they will begin
opening for lunches on weekends. For more, find them on facebook, visit www.Merced’sonbrandypond.com or
call ahead for reservations at 207-693-5332.

Friday, June 10, 2016

A green, manicured
lawn brings pride to a homeowner and envy to neighbors, but is not always that
easy to achieve. But that reality is only a phone call away with East Coast
Lawn Care, the newest lawn care business in the Sebago region. Based in Windham
and owned by Tomi and John Pastore, they are ready to get to work on your lawn.

John is a
certified Audi and VW mechanic by trade, who is known for being reliable and
having a great reputation. Branching out into lawn care seemed like a good plan
to spend some time outside and in gardens.

Tomi works with
John and takes care of their three children, all of whom are under 8 years old.
She enjoys vegetable gardening, so planting flowers is part of the services
East Coast Lawn Care provides.

Being cautious of
their growth, the company will serve the greater Portland area.

“People are so
busy, there’s no time to mow their own lawn. We understand people have lives
and want to spend time with their families,” Tomi said. East Coast Lawn Care
will take care of the yard work, so families can enjoy the summer.

East Coast Lawn
Care is qualified, convenient, responsible and fully insured. They prefer to
set prices based on the job after inspecting it. They do free estimates.

“We want to be an
honest, timely, professional, word of mouth business. We’re reliable. If we say
we’ll be there every other Monday, we’ll be there,” Tomi said. They believe in
customer satisfaction and are a family business that wants to help other
families keep their yard in pristine shape.

“John has always
taken pride in his own lawn. Now he wants to help people accomplish a beautiful
lawn for themselves,” Tomi said.

East Coast Lawn
Care also takes care of spring and fall clean ups. They can help fix up a
summer home on the lake before the family arrives or can plant annual flowers
to give the property a pop of color. Raking, mowing or fertilizing, they can
have it done now.

Click to email

John has the
know-how to get your dull lawn to turn green and lush. For example, he knows
when to fertilize and with what types of products to suit your soil and
conditions. Now is a prime time to fertilize because the lawn is reviving after
a long season of cold weather and dormancy. Come spring, lawns need to be fed
to turn green and grow. Soil supplies some of the nutrients grass needs, but
many soils lack elements that lawns need to survive the growing season.

Trying to sell
properties in the area, but don’t want to have to be mowing the lawn before
showings? Let East Coast Lawn Care set up a regular schedule to do the
maintenance until the home sells.

Regardless of what
type of lawn care work you need call East Coast Lawn Care so the best yard in
the neighborhood will belong to your family.

John has lived in
Windham for 15 years and their children attend Windham schools. Tomi has been a
Windham resident for five years. As a Navy veteran, John plans to give
discounts to honor Veterans and seniors. Both John and Tomi are involved in
Windham youth soccer as coaches and volunteer when they can with other
organizations.

To set
up an estimate or to find out more, call 899-7289 or email
lawncareeastcoast@gmail.com. <

When it comes to dock sales, service
and waterfront construction, Dock World of Maine and Sebago Marine are a full
service operation based in Windham. Under the direction of owner Del Wescott,
Dock World has been in business for 22 years.

“These hands have touched every type
of dock out there,” said Wescott. “You get it all with us.” The company sells
new docks from floating and stationary docks to wooden and aluminum docks. They
also offer SCUBA services for underwater work and retrievals, should your boat
happen to spring a leak and sink.

The company is a family business
employing Wescott’s sister in the office and his son, who is one of the welders
on staff.

From dock installation to service
after the sale, Dock World is ready for their customers usually within 48
hours. They pride themselves on fast service that is done correctly the first
time.

Dock World sells and installs
Sunstream Boat Lifts. “They are the most expensive. They’re the Cadillac of
boat lifts,” Wescott said. They have a remote control and are solar powered.
“Our clients have no time for service issues. Summer is so short anyway. They
don’t want to be without a dock for two weeks,” he said. Using the best product
almost guarantees that boat owners won’t have to miss prime water time.

Dock World services 2,000 dock
sections per year all around the Sebago Lakes region and some dock work on the
ocean. They do their own metal fabrication and welding when a dock needs
repairs when a boat runs into the dock or other issues that might come up.

The company also manufactures wooden
docks to customer specifications. “We’ve built and sold thousands,” he said.
Customers looking for dock work can speak with dock supervisor Bobby Clark. “He
handles most all of our dock installations and service. He’s been with the
company for 10 years,” Wescott said.

Wescott prides himself on the
company’s great customer service. “When experience and reputation matters, call
us. That counts for a lot,” he said. The company has proved that with continual
growth every year since 1995.

The newest branch of Dock World is
Sebago Marine, which has been doing marine construction for over 10 years. The
98,000 pound barge they own travels from Standish to downtown Harrison to
repair and build on the shoreline.

“We service every marina solely from
here to Harrison,” he said. They help with moorings and other building
projects. Their skilled laborers create permanent dock systems. They have
underwater equipment like drills or chainsaws. Some of the team are SCUBA
certified.

Sebago Marine also does dredging work
for municipalities and for the Sebago Lake State Park, when they need the river
dredged.

“We work closely with the Maine DEP
for grandfathered docks, like permanent crib docks,” Wescott said. They make
sure they have permits to do any work on the water. Some of the work is done in
the winter when the water level is lowered. “I am a certified erosion control
person,” he said. They have saved more than 1000 feet of shoreline over their
years in business and plan to save lots more.

“We are a full service company. All
of my people are employees, not subcontractors. We pay all insurances and
benefits for the seven employees,” Wescott said.

Dock World has a showroom in North
Windham at 976 Roosevelt Trail and will be expanding their retail operations
there with cash and carry items and hardware.

In the off season, the four year
round employees work doing building construction, like barns, garages and
kitchens, said Wescott.

For more information or to
schedule an appointment with Dock World of Maine, call the office at
207-892-5500, email Sebagomarine@live.com or fax 207-892-5527. Their website is
under construction at www.dockworldofmaine.com, watch for updates.